Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee, I own nothing. If I did, Faberry would most definitely be a couple.

Authors Note: Thank you for all the reviews and story alerts, I really appreciate them :) This is the final chapter of the story so I want to thank everybody who has read this and either reviewed or put this story in their alerts and/or favourites. I found it incredibly difficult to finish this story which is why there is a big jump between Thursday night and the wedding and also why this chapter took longer than usual to write. As usual all mistakes are mine! Thank you once again and I hope you enjoy the final chapter. I also hope you've enjoyed the entire story

Chapter 13:

They say that actions speak louder than words but I've found that sometimes, that isn't the case. It isn't always possible for that to be the case. When you want somebody to know that you love them, you could show them but until they hear the actual words, there will always be some doubt. In the case of love, words speak louder than actions.

At least for me.

Finn was the first person I fell in love with and until Quinn, the only person I've fell in love with. Although I loved Rob and I said the words 'I love you' to him, I was never in love with him.

At least not really.

The first time I told Finn that I loved him; we were practicing our duet for Glee Club. Our duet would be the opening number for Nationals and I wanted it to be perfect so that we could claim victory and bring a trophy back to school. He was singing to me and I felt like he meant the words he was singing, he wasn't just singing them for the song. Everything between us became simple and natural in that moment and the words came out before I could even think about them. I can still remember how his eyes lit up but he didn't say the words back, at least not then. He just smiled and kissed me, almost as if he hoped the kiss would make me forget that I had put my heart on the line and he hadn't returned the favour. Two weeks later he told me that he loved me too but I can't pretend that it didn't hurt me when he didn't say it straight back.

When I dated Rob, I was the first to say I love you once again. Although, unlike Finn, he said it straight back. However, I couldn't help but wish he had said it first so I didn't have to. With Finn, I had put my heart out there for him to take or destroy but with Rob, I didn't worry about him destroying my heart because I knew he was in love with me.

For him, actions spoke louder than words.

However, no matter how confident you are of the other person's feelings, there is always that element of doubt that the recipient of the words won't feel the same way.

Quinn is the first person I've dated to say I love you first and she didn't just tell me that she loved me; she said she was in love with me. I've always thought that was a better way of telling somebody how you feel. The word 'love' gets tossed around too much nowadays, you tell your parents that you love them and you tell your friends the same thing. But loving somebody and being in love with somebody are two completely different things so my heart swells at her choice of wording.

I can tell the moment she finishes speaking that a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Like she's wanted to say them for a while, she just hasn't been able to find the right time. If you take into account the scene right now, the picturesque night sky, her fingers entwined with me while the stars shine down on us, it's incredibly romantic and it seems like she really has picked the perfect moment to confess her feelings

Her eyes are boring into mine. She's waiting for me to say something. To do something. I should know how she's feeling; I've been in that situation twice before and I know that the fear of not knowing whether I'm going to say it back must be eating away at her. I want to say something but my mouth has become dry and my heart is pumping the blood around my body at such a rapid pace that I can feel my heart beat in my head.

I wanted her to say those words to me. I wanted her to tell me that she was in love with me so I would know that the feeling is mutual but now it's happened, I'm too shocked to even speak.

Too shocked to tell her I feel the same way.

I guess deep down, I didn't think she would tell me that she was in love with me.

At least not yet.

She gives my fingers a gentle squeeze, silently pleading for me to answer her. My mouth opens and forms the perfect 'o' but no words come out.

"I shouldn't have said that should I?" She says quietly and her voice is so fragile and broken that my heart breaks for her.

"No, you should have," I reply, finally finding the ability to speak.

"I've freaked you out," she tells me, never once letting go of my hand. "It's it any consolation, I'm freaked out too."

"You are?"

A ghost of a smile forms on her lips. "I've just told you I'm in love with you, the first time I've ever said those words and you just stared at me, in silence," she says. "So yeah, I'd say that I'm a little freaked out."

"My silence wasn't a bad silence," I tell her, squeezing her fingers in comfort. "I was just shocked to hear you say that you felt that level of admiration for me."

"Level of admiration?" She furrows her eyebrows at me, clearly perplexed by my choice of vocabulary. "You can say it you know. You can say that I love you."

"I know..."

"It's okay to not feel the same." Quinn brushes some of my hair behind her ear and the action soothes me. "I know you wanted to be in a relationship with me but I also know that that doesn't mean you're at the same place as me. I think I've loved you for a while now but I understand if you don't feel the same way. I mean, I've been awful to you in the past, short-tempered and impatient. If I'm being honest, I don't expect you to say it back."

"Quinn..."

"Don't worry about it," she says. "You not saying it back isn't going to change my feelings for you. I mean, I'm a little disappointed because I want you to feel the same but I'm not going anywhere so when you're ready..."

My lips connect with hers rapidly, putting an end to her nervous ramble. She smiles into the kiss, her hands coming to rest on my hips. I pull away from her and rest my forehead against hers. Quinn's eyes remain closed in content. "I'm in love with you too Quinn."

"You are?" She doesn't open her eyes, almost as if she's afraid that when she does, this won't be real.

"Open your eyes Quinn," I demand and she soon complies. "I am."

This time it's her who closes the gap and kisses me. She squeezes my hips before pecking my nose lightly, a smile laced on her face. "This week has turned out a lot better than I thought it would."

I chuckle softly. "And to think, you didn't even want to come with me."

Kurt kisses Blaine as it is pronounced that they are now married and the yard is filled with applause and shouts of delight. Santana brings her fingers to her mouth and releases a sharp, loud whistle before she starts clapping in time with everybody else. Its heart warming that everybody in the yard is just as happy about the marriage as the couple themselves.

Like everybody knows that they're meant to be.

I always thought that they were soul mates.

Kurt and Blaine make a quick dash down the make-shift carpet which represents an aisle while guests throw confetti over them, a perfect tradition.

It came as no surprise that I cried at the wedding and most of the other women shared my feelings. Mercedes had tears flowing down her cheeks and Tina cried in her usual hysterical fashion. Quinn didn't cry but I hadn't expected her to. She may be a romantic deep down but I don't think she's the kind of person to cry at weddings.

Quinn and I offer our congratulations to the happy couple as they pass us but over the shouts of everybody else, I'm not sure whether they hear us. They've rented a gazebo which covers practically their entire yard to hold the reception. They wanted to get married somewhere they felt comfortable, somewhere that felt like home and they had decided that their own house was the logical choice.

Quinn grabs my hand and starts following the crowd of people who are making their way to the reception but I have other plans. I give her hand a tug, signalling that I want her to stop and gesture towards the house with my head.

"Follow me," I say. "Just for a second."

She doesn't question me and allows me to lead her into the house and up to our bedroom. When I glance over my shoulder, I see that she is following me dotingly and I can't help but love how she didn't question me and just trusted me.

I usher her inside before closing the door over and heading over to the bed.

"Is something wrong?"

I look over my shoulder at her question. "Why would something be wrong?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "You dragged me away from the reception to come up here so there must be a reason."

"Nothing's wrong," I reassure her. "I just wanted to give you something."

"Oh really?" She says, quirking her eyebrow in a sultry manner. Her voice is laced with a flirtatious tone and I can't help but laugh at where her mind automatically goes.

"Not that," I tell her and she sighs playfully in disappointment.

"What then?"

"It's sort of a present although I didn't buy it," I explain as I kneel down to rummage underneath the bed.

"You didn't need to get me anything Rachel."

"I didn't," I reply and confusion overtakes her. I stand back up moments later holding a small box before I hand it to Quinn. "It's not much but I felt the need to wrap it because I like having things to unwrap so I thought you might feel the same."

She grins at me before removing the lid from the box to reveal her teddy bear, Boo. "I don't know whether things are different back in Ohio but giving somebody something they already own isn't classed as a present."

I laugh at her confused expression before I advise her to look in a more scrutinising fashion at the bear. "Turns out Kurt had a needle and thread so I thought I'd fix him up now instead of waiting until we got home. He looks almost as good as new now."

Quinn studies the bear more carefully and her eyes light up as she realises I've fixed him. I'd sewn his ear back on which had been falling off and I had sewn up all the patches of fur which had been ripped over the years. She strokes his fur softly and I knew the bear meant a lot to her but she looks like she's about to cry.

I had no idea that this simple action would touch her so much.

"When did you do this?"

"Yesterday when you were talking to Sam," I explain. "I asked Mercedes to make sure that you stayed downstairs so I could do this without you knowing."

"I know you said that you could fix him but I wasn't going to hold you to that," she tells me, still stroking the bear's fur. "I didn't expect you to do it at all, let alone so quickly."

"It's no bother," I reassure her. "I was happy to do it."

"Thank you," she says and the words come out in a broken whisper.

"You're welcome," I reply, my voice incredibly soft. "Are you crying?"

I can see her eyes watering so I don't know why I asked the question when I already know the answer but she wipes at her eyes furiously before any tears can fall.

"No." She says quickly and I nod, even though we both know she's lying but I don't want to question it anymore. "I can't remember the last time somebody did something this nice for me without me having to ask and even them, this surpasses them all."

"It's hardly much," I state as she scuffs her feet nervously.

"You know that's not true," she whispers. "This really means a lot to me. Because of the state of Boo, I was always worried that one day, he'd fall apart completely, beyond repair and I don't know what I'd do if that happened."

"Well you don't need to worry about that anymore."

"Thank you." This time a tear escapes before Quinn can wipe it away. "So much."

"You don't need to thank me Quinn," I state. "Just seeing how pleased you are is thanks enough."

I bring my hands together as I join in the round of applause which has begun to circulate as Kurt and Blaine finish their first dance as a married couple. Blaine waves his hand ever so slightly, a signal to everybody else that they need to join the couple on the make-shift dance floor as the next song begins to play. Brittany jumps out of her seat, clearly she had been waiting for that invitation. She drags Santana out of her seat, and the Latina doesn't look anywhere near as excited as her fiancée to be joining the dance floor.

"Who's that?"

Quinn nods her head a little in the direction of my old Glee Club teacher. "That's Mr Schue," I explain but she looks at me in confusion, waiting for a further explanation. "William Schuester," I continue. "He was the Glee Club teacher and I guess you could say, a friend." She bobs her head along with my explanation, telling me that she's listening. "The woman he's sitting with, that's his wife, Emma Schuester, formerly Emma Pillsbury. She was the Guidance Councillor at my high school until she fell pregnant with their first child and then I understand that she took a break from her job for a couple of years. I'm not sure whether she's returned to work or not. She also used to have a strong case of obsessive compulsive disorder and it looks like she still has that," I say as Emma wipes down the cutlery on the table. "I think her disorder was the reason she became a councillor. She knew what it was like to have something you didn't like about yourself, something that you couldn't control, something that no matter how you felt about it, made you who are you are."

"Did you ever go to see her?"

"A few times actually," I tell her and she seems surprised by my answer. "Never for anything serious but I went with Finn a couple of times. I could never understand why he dated me over the more popular girls, over the Cheerios. Emma gave me a pamphlet containing a clever pun but nothing that would help me."

I think my mention of Finn has put an end to this conversation because Quinn doesn't seem to want to talk about my visits to the guidance councillor anymore. Instead she stands and holds her hand out for me to take.

"Dance with me?"

"Always," I answer as I take her hand. She pulls me up in one swift movement, her arm wrapping around my waist right away to steady me. She guides me to the dance floor and wraps her other arm around my waist while I clasp my hands together around her neck. We sway for several minutes, matching the tempo of the song. "You're a good dancer."

She chuckles as she buries her head into the crooks of my neck. "So are you," she replies before she steps back, grabbing my left hand with her right and attempting to spin me around. I move with her but she spins me with too much force and I crash into her, laughing heartily. The smile on her face and the gleam in her eyes tells me that she did that deliberately.

"I've changed my mind," I tell her. "You're not a good dancer."

"I'm hurt." She laughs at me before slowing down our movements to match the tempo of the new song that the band is playing. "Have you ever thought about what song you'll have for you first dance?"

"I've been thinking about my wedding since I was little," I explain. "But I've never been able to pick a song. I guess the song for my first dance will be what my fiancée and I have labelled 'our song'," I continue. "Have you?"

"You are so beautiful," she replies and instinctively I blush, thinking that she has ignored my question and is giving me one of her very generous compliments. She grins at me before kissing me quickly. "That's the song I want as my first dance. The Joe Cocker version." Her grin doesn't disappear as my blush intensifies.

"I knew you were talking about a song," I say, desperately trying to cover my embarrassment but Quinn doesn't seem to mind.

She pecks the tip of my nose. "You're so cute when you blush, do you know that?"

"You have to say that," I reply. "You're my girlfriend."

It's still so new and exciting calling her that and by her expression, I can tell she feels the same. "Just because I'm your girlfriend doesn't make it any less true."

"Why do you want that song?"

Quinn shrugs. "It's always been one of my favourite songs and although I never knew what love felt like before, I guess I expected to feel that way if I loved somebody," she says quietly. "Does that make sense?" I nod my head at her question and she gives me a soft smile. "You're everything I hoped for, you're everything I need," she sings softly before reciting the rest of the song into my ear in a low whisper and I shiver at the closeness of her and the delicate tone of her voice. I can tell she means every word that she is singing and if she wasn't supporting me with her arm, I'm pretty sure my knees would have buckled the moment she started singing.

Quinn finishes singing the song but doesn't take a step back; instead she buries her head into my neck and kisses my pulse point. The band start playing Billy Joel's song 'Just the Way You Are' in the background and it causes Quinn to finally step back. She grabs my left hand with hers, prepared to speed up our movements slightly before we're interrupted.

"May I cut in?"

We both to turn to see Kurt and Blaine standing beside us. Kurt's hand outstretched towards me while Blaine is extending his hand towards Quinn. I take hold of Kurt's hand and we immediately fall into synchronisation, dancing close to Blaine and Quinn before the duo disappears towards the stage.

"You two can't keep your hands off each other."

"Says the newly married man."

"I guess we're both in the honeymoon phase," he says and I murmur my agreement. "Should I expect a wedding invitation in the mail in the future?"

Kurt has never been good at subtlety.

"I suspect the answer to that question will be yes because Brittany and Santana will have to send out their invitations. Unless of course they flee to Vegas and have a quickie wedding," I say. "Something tells me Santana would prefer that."

"She may well prefer Vegas but Brittany will want the white wedding. She told me during my bachelor party that she already had ideas for their wedding."

"That's good because if it was left to Santana, the wedding wouldn't happen. I mean it took her long enough to propose," I reply smirking.

"Are we going to keep talking about Brittany and Santana when we both know I meant you and Quinn?" He asks coolly and spins me around twice. "

"It's far too early to be thinking about marriage Kurt," I reply. "You and Blaine were together eight years before you tied the knot, Brittany and Santana have been together just shy of eight years and they've only just agreed to get married. Quinn and I have only been together three months. Hardly a long time in comparison." It surprises me how easy I find it to continue the pretence that everybody knows as the truth. In reality, Quinn and I have only been together for a day.

The band quiets down and the song they're playing comes to an end and Kurt raises his eyebrow at me. "You can't compare your own relationship to other couples. It may have taken us eight years to finally marry but I always knew Blaine was the man I would marry," he says.

"I thought I would be married to Finn by the time I was eighteen," I tell him. "And look at me now."

"Now you're happier than you ever were with him," he says, waving at his husband and my girlfriend who are already making their way towards us. "I know he's my step-brother but he didn't make you as happy as Quinn does and I really like her so don't let her go Rachel."

"I won't," I promise.

"In that case, I'll look forward to the wedding invite," he says quietly.

"Congratulations Kurt," I say, changing the topic quickly before Quinn comes into earshot. He smiles and I kiss his cheek before he and Blaine walk towards Mercedes and Tina, engaging in a conversation with them right away.

Quinn pecks my lips quickly. Like it's something she does all the time, a quick greeting. "You two looked like you were having a deep conversation."

"Not really," I reply, hoping that she doesn't probe any further. She accepts my answer and pulls me into her body for another dance. "Another dance? Usually you'd have disappeared by now for a cigarette," I tell her before tilting my head to the side in thought. "Actually, come to think of it, I haven't seen you smoke in a couple of days. Are you trying to give it up?"

Quinn chuckles softly. "No, definitely not. I can't give it up, it keeps me sane. I've told you that before."

"Then why haven't you had a cigarette?"

She ducks her head in embarrassment. "After our argument the other night, I lost my temper and threw my lighter on the ground. I smashed it and I didn't bring another one with me. I don't crave cigarettes enough to worry about borrowing matches or a lighter, I'm fine without them" she explains.

"I think you should use this to your advantage and try to give it up."

Quinn shakes her head. "I know you want me to give it up because you hate smoking but you know that I can't."

"You haven't smoked in almost three days," I tell her. "You're already on the way to giving up."

"I'm not a chain smoker babe," she explains. "I can last a few days without a cigarette. I mean I never smoke when I'm in school so I can survive. I just like being able to have the occasional one, especially when I'm stressed."

"I'm not going to be able to make you quit am I?"

She shakes her head before giving my hips a gentle squeeze. "Maybe in the future."

"I guess I can handle that," I reply. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to make you quit."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

The clinking of a glass brings our attention to the main table where the married couple have now taken their seats, along with their family and the best men. Blaine's best man is his brother, Cooper Anderson while Kurt's best man is, unsurprisingly, Finn. Quinn and I sit down at our designated table while everybody on the dance floor takes their allotted seats. Cooper stands up and starts making his speech, whittling off anecdote after anecdote before talking about his own career, mentioning Blaine and Kurt only once in his ten minute speech.

Finn follows and he looks nervous about speaking in public, which is unusual because he's used to performing in front of large crowds. He starts talking about the first time he met Kurt and how their relationship changed from strangers to enemies to acquaintances to friends and finally to family. He then turns to Blaine and tells him how he's always been a part of the family but today its official. His speech is becoming quiet emotional and I can see his mother, Carol, wiping away tears at his words.

Once Finn is finished, Blaine looks at Kurt, silently deciding who should make their speech first. It looks like they're having a conversation but with just their eyes. Eventually, Blaine stands up and takes Kurt's hand in his.

"Kurt and I were friends for a few months before I gathered the courage to make him something more and part of me has always regretted not making a move earlier but at least he was still an everyday feature in my life," Blaine begins and even though I should listen to the rest of his speech, I find myself looking at Quinn and Blaine's voice becomes more and more distant.

I find myself wondering whether Quinn and I will ever be in this situation, whether we'll have reached the stage in our relationship were we can converse silently with our eyes and whether one day we'll argue silently about who will make the first speech at our own wedding.

"...Even when we were just friends, I knew that he was always meant to be a part of my life and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life making him as happy as he makes me." I manage to catch the end of Blaine's speech and bring my gaze back to the main table. Kurt is crying at his husband's words and I don't expect him to make his own speech any time soon.

He'll need time to calm down and stop crying.

I'm sure I'd be crying if I'd listened to the entire speech.

"That was a beautiful speech," Quinn says as she looks at me and it surprises me but she has tears in her eyes. I quietly agree with her and she smiles.

"I lied to you the other day," I tell her quickly and she cocks her head to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"When I said that you were my present," I explain. "Because you are but you're more than that, you're my future."

Quinn's face is still for a second before she lets out a short laugh and kisses me gently. "That was incredibly cheesy," she says playfully.

I smack her gently in the arm as she beams at me. "Congratulations, you just ruined the moment Quinn."

She reaches out to squeeze my hand and rests her forehead against mine. "Sorry baby, that was very romantic."

"It's too late," I joke. "The moment has passed."

Quinn tries to get me to look at her for the next several minutes but I'm naturally stubborn so I find it incredibly easy to pretend to be stubborn and ignore her. Kurt eventually stands up to start his speech and I glance sideways briefly to see if Quinn is still looking at me and she is. I bring my attention back to Kurt and I can see her smile out of the corner of my eye.

Kurt finishes his speech and everybody starts clapping as he kisses his husband. For the second time, I bring my hands together to join in with the applause and I feel Quinn shuffle closer to me. She places a soft kiss on my temple and brushes a strand of hair over my ear. The applause slowly dies down as Quinn places her lips next to my ear.

"You're my future too Rach," she whispers and I can feel goose-bumps appearing over my entire body. "I love you."

Seven months later:

"You'll never guess what came in the mail today," I say and Quinn mumbles an incoherent answer as she takes a bite of her sandwich. I throw a letter in Quinn's direction and it lands in her lap. She puts her sandwich back on her plate and peruses the letter while finishing her mouthful of food.

For the past few weeks Quinn has been busy working during the day and I've been performing on Broadway during the evening so we never really had time to see each other but we made sure that we talked every day, during her lunch break and before I went on stage. We also saw each other every other weekend, providing our workload wasn't too heavy. Today is one of those rare Saturdays where Quinn and I have some free time so we're able to spend more time together. She's coming to see my show for the fifth time tonight and even though I tell her that she must have more important things to do, she simply tells me to be quiet because there's nothing more important than supporting me.

I still don't understand how I managed to get such a devoted, beautiful and caring girlfriend.

"Brittany and Santana's wedding invitation," Quinn finally says after she has swallowed her mouthful of food. "It's addressed to both of us."

"I know," I say. "Although she already knows that it's a yes from you because you're the maid of honour."

"I still don't understand that," Quinn replies, an element of surprise still in her voice.

Santana had asked Quinn to be her maid of honour a couple of weeks ago and I think it surprised everybody. Although in hindsight, it's not surprising, in fact it's obvious. Santana has never really had a best friend, her best friend had been Brittany in high school but then when they started a relationship, she didn't have a best friend outside that relationship. When she met Quinn, although they had initially been frosty towards each other, they grew closer over the week and they stayed in touch after the wedding.

I also made a promise to myself that I would keep in touch with everybody from Glee Club and now wait until the next wedding to see everybody again.

"I do," I say. "At first I was just as surprised as you but it makes sense why she chose you. Trust me."

She accepts my statement and looks over the invitation once more. "Feel free to bring a significant other," she says. "It must be a generic invitation considering you're my significant other and this is addressed to both of us. They know we're going together."

"Oh I don't know, I might ask one of my friends to pretend to be my girlfriend for the wedding," I joke and she smiles slowly. "It might become a tradition at weddings."

"You wouldn't dare," she warns quietly and even though she's joking, her tone is slightly menacing, suggesting that she means it deep down.

She may be devoted, beautiful and caring but Quinn has quite a strong jealous side.

"Why would I need a pretend girlfriend when I have a perfectly real one right here," I say, calming her worries. "I wouldn't replace you for anything."

"Do you think we should tell everybody the truth about our relationship one day?" Quinn asks. "Tell them that when we were at Kurt and Blaine's wedding, we weren't really a couple. I'd love to see all their reactions."

"I think," I say, "that will be a great story for our wedding day."

"Our wedding day?" Quinn repeats lightly.

I blush when I realise what I've just said. "A great story for the future," I correct myself and I'm worried that she's going to linger on the wedding aspect but she just smiles at me and takes a bite of her sandwich.

Several seconds pass before she speaks and I have to strain my ears to hear what she says, since she says it incredibly quiet but I just hear it.

"For the future."

Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance according to Oscar Wilde. If he is to be believed then I guess when Quinn and I started a pretend relationship, we started a romance which would eventually become real. We not only deceived everybody else but we also deceived ourselves. I never expected to have a relationship which started because of a lie but in Oscar Wilde's words, that lie meant that Quinn and I always had the perfect romance.

It just took us longer than the rest of the world to realise.